How will swimming help combat hot flashes?

Hot flashes are possibly the most commonly associated symptom of menopause, and affect 75% to 85% of menopausal women. The duration, frequency and severity of menopausal hot flashes will vary considerably from woman to woman but are usually unbearable and uncomfortable for any sufferer. The imbalance of hormones in the body during “the change” disrupts the usual functioning of the vascular and motor systems, causing sudden moments of intense heat, flushing, and an irregular heartbeat.

Treating hot flashes, either to prevent or alleviate, can be done in various ways, but a healthy diet and regular exercise is thought to be the most effective. Participating in daily exercise will help to balance hormone levels and will leave the body in a calmer state, resulting in fewer hot-flash episodes. This will usually mean you have a less disrupted lifestyle and reduce all effects related with hot flashes. Swimming is one exercise that comes highly recommended. Read on to find out why.

Is it worth getting wet for?

Exercise is vital for everybody during their lifetime because it maintains general good health and will enable the body to function in the way it should. However, it becomes even more essential for a woman during the transitional period because her body health becomes more important than ever. If her hormones are constantly imbalanced, the body starts to react in strange ways. Here are the reasons why swimming is considered one of the most effective forms of exercise in menopause:

Exercise for your whole body

Swimming is one of the main forms of exercise that will provide a complete body work out. Its benefits are that it provides aerobic fitness, muscle use throughout the whole body and it improves stamina, strength, and flexibility. If you are trying to eliminate hot sweats, then you may as well choose a sport that gives your body an all-around work out and keeps you trim.

Relaxing exercise that encourages well-being

Swimming is a low impact exercise and is excellent for women of all ages. It means that you can take it slowly, and pace yourself. This makes it a relaxing exercise, giving you an opportunity to concentrate on your breathing and focus on the mind-body connection. This aspect of it will often allow the female to feel an overall sense of well-being, which means that hot flash episodes are less likely to take place.

De-stress

Stress is a major trigger for hot flashes so combating stress should always be the first step to take if you want to avoid hot flashes. The feeling of weightlessness in the water, and the relaxing experience of gliding through the water, will allow the body to experience a meditative state, de-stressing the body, and ultimately reducing hot flashes and their uncomfortable symptoms. Try to float during your swimming session too, because it aids de-stressing and will cool your body down after the laps you have done.

The cooling effect

Swimming is the best exercise to cool you down, a necessary benefit if you are trying to cope with hot flashes. A dip in the water will cool you off initially, and then if you do find yourself getting flushed during the session then lowering your head under the water, will help you cool off quickly.

Encourages hormone imbalance

The very fact that swimming can de-stress you will help to balance your hormones because it reduces the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) that is in the body which can have an impact on estrogen and progesterone levels, but additionally, regular exercise just promotes healthy hormone production and ensures that they are distributed around the body.

More information about Hot Flashes

It is recommended that you exercise daily to combat hot flashes and if you do choose swimming then try to swim for at least 30 minutes each time. However, pace yourself and don’t exhaust your body. Follow the link to find out what other lifestyle changes you should make to help combat hot flashes episodes in the future.

To learn more about Hot Flashes